


54. Luck

by parka_girl



Category: Infinite (Band), Super Junior
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 08:44:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5041699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parka_girl/pseuds/parka_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Myungsu stops in a cafe before going to a concert and meets up with the guy he used to be in a band with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	54. Luck

Myungsu pulled his headphones on, loud rock and roll spilled into his head as he stepped onto the metro. He slipped his iPhone into the pocket of his suit jacket and wished he was somewhere else, anywhere else. He'd never wanted an office job, he wanted to be in a band. Playing guitar and singing at the top of his lungs. He'd even been in a band, until his mum had gotten sick and he had to shelve that dream, along with all of his others. 

His mum died and he spends his time sitting at a desk in an office and going home to take care of his father, who isn't doing much better. It turned out that his father missed his mum more than either of them realized. His brother helped, but he was younger and still in school. Myungsu didn't want to burden his brother with the family problems, so he left his dreams in college, where he convinced himself they belonged. 

The commute was uneventful, but Myungsu spent too much time watching the crowds around him. There were people his age, dressed as he was, ready for work. But there were others, laughing and giggling with each other, wearing jeans and t-shirts. They were having the fun he longed to have. But instead he was stuck in his office job, working until it was time to go home and starting all over again in the morning. 

He didn't blame his parents, even when his mum got sick. He loved them and they let him be in his band as long as he wanted. They supported his little brother, too. It was only right that Myungsu should support his parents now. But that didn't stop him from longing for music and feeling suffocating loneliness that comes with giving up something you love. He sighed, turned up the music on his iPhone and pretended everything was normal. At least he could still listen to music, even if his guitar sat unused in the same bedroom he had when he was a little kid. 

The train came to a halt at his stop and Myungsu stepped off with the rest of the commuters. As he did, his phone buzzed in his pocket, interrupting his music. He pulled it out and saw a text from his brother. 

_Project canceled, Junseo hyung's sick again. Will take care of Dad today. Go out and have some fun, hyung._

Myungsu sighed with a slight smile. If his brother knew he was miserable, then maybe it was time to actually do something about it. Even if it was only temporary. He happened to glance at the posters lining a record shop he liked to frequent, even though everything he owned was on his iPhone, and stopped in front of one of the posters. It was an advert for a concert happening that night, Myungsu even knew the name of the club the band was playing at. He didn't recognize the opening act, a group called The Failing Sensation, but he knew the headliners and they were all right. 

He pulled out his phone and programmed the time of the concert into his calendar and promised himself he'd buy a change of clothes before going to the show. He texted his brother back, telling him he would go out and have some fun. The reply was just an emoticon, a smile, because Myungsu remembered, his brother was in school. He walked the rest of the way to work with a slight skip in his step, even if it was only noticeable to himself. 

The morning seemed to fly by and at lunch, Myungsu slipped out and stopped at one of the clothing shops near his office. He found some vintage band t-shirts, just like the ones he used to own. He bought a couple and decided on one of the Metallica ones. It wasn't really vintage, but it would do. He bought a pair of skinny jeans, something he hadn't worn since his mum was in the hospital. He went back to work, eating instant ramen at his desk as he tried to contain his excitement. It'd been almost two years since he'd been to a concert, even longer since he'd given up the guitar. 

The second half of his day seemed to drag, but eventually it ended. Myungsu ducked into the bathroom on the first floor, usually reserved for customers and other guests, and changed in one of the stalls. He looked at his hair and sighed, wishing he'd thought to buy something to style it. He still looked like a salaryman, but at least he wouldn't be wearing a suit. He stuffed the clothes in a bag and rented a locker at the metro station, then caught a train for the club. 

He was far, far too early and it was cold out. The t-shirt wasn't much protection. He ducked into a clothing shop and tried to remember the last time he shopped for something that wasn't work related. It'd been a long time, especially since lunchtime didn't count. Eventually he found a jacket that fit him, paid for it and declined the bag as he slipped into the coat. He felt almost like he did in college. Shame about his hair, he thought as he passed a shop window. 

A few minutes later, he stopped into a small cafe, looking for coffee and something to eat. He sat near a window and stared outside, unseeing. He texted his brother, then called him, checking up on their father. He was having a good day, Moonsu said and Myungsu remembered his father's pleasant mood when he'd left for work. Usually one day out of seven, he was not depressed. It was better than the year before, when he was unhappy almost all of the time. Maybe, Myungsu thought as he ended the call, his father would go back to having more good days than bad. He sipped his coffee, now cold, absently and sighed. 

He was still lost in thought when he heard someone calling his name. He blinked, startled, and turned. 

"Kim Myungsu! I thought it was you." Someone said from across the cafe. A couple of guys and a girl were at the counter, all of them were looking at him. 

Myungsu blinked again and then an unexpected grin spread across his face. "Minsu! It's been forever. What've you been up to?" 

Minsu gestured to his friends, or whoever they were, to follow him and they joined Myungsu at the table. "It's been at least five years, man. You just dropped off the face of the Earth." 

Myungsu shrugged, but didn't have a chance to answer because Minsu was talking again. 

"Myungsu and I were in a bad together in school. He played guitar and sang, he could've been a superstar." Myungsu blushed a little, staring at his coffee, as Minsu went on. "But one day he quit and I haven't seen him since. So, Myungsu, what happened?" 

Myungsu wanted to go up and order another cup of coffee, something that wasn't cold, but he didn't. He played with the handle of his mug before finally pulling his thoughts together. "Remember how my mum was sick?" 

Minsu squinted at him and then nodded. 

"She got worse and I had to quit school to take care of her." He didn't look up from his mug now. He talked to it instead of Minsu, he felt ashamed but he couldn't figure out why. "My father … he's having trouble living without her and I'm working so I can support him."

"What're you doing here, then?" Minsu asked and Myungsu glanced up at the table. The rest of his friends seemed to be giving him a shut up look, but Myungsu remembered how Minsu was and found he didn't mind. It'd been forever since he talked about it. 

"Moonsu's taking care of him tonight. He told me to have some fun. There's a concert nearby and I haven't been to one in ages. So …" He trailed off, shrugging. 

"A concert!" Minsu said, with a grin. "You're not talking about The Failing Sensation opening for that band we used to like?" 

Myungsu nodded, feeling confused. "I don't know who The Failing Sensation is, though."

"That's us!" Minsu said with a grin, gesturing to the five people sitting at the table with him. 

"For real?" Myungsu was surprised so surprised the words just fell out of him. 

Minsu was laughing and then Myungsu felt himself start to smile. "Myungsu, I told you I was going to do rock and roll until I died, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but we were kids." Myungsu said, but secretly he was slightly jealous. Minsu was living out his dream and while maybe it wasn't fair of him to be jealous, he couldn't help it. 

Minsu just shrugged. "At least one of us got to." He said and then went around the table introducing the rest of his band. "I'm drums, of course. Sujin plays bass and sings, she's great. Hyunjun plays keyboard. Joonho plays violin, guitar and a bunch of other instruments. And," he paused, pointing to a guy with dyed-blond hair, earrings and a black jacket, "this is Lee Sungmin, singer and lead guitar. Guys, this is my friend Myungsu. I told you about him, ages ago."

Sujin gave Myungsu a very long once over and then nodded approvingly. "You said he was good and it was a shame he had to quit." 

Myungsu gave her a half smile and felt completely uncomfortable for the first time. Minsu didn't notice, not that he would, and started talking again, but Myungsu tuned him out. He stared out the window for a moment and then back at the table. When he looked at the rest of the Minsu's band, they were engrossed in their own things, as if he was one of them, except for Sungmin, who was watching him. 

Myungsu blushed and turned away. He'd forgotten what it was like to find someone attractive. It'd been a long time since he'd been with someone. He glanced back and Sungmin had turned toward Hyunjun, the keyboardist. A phone rang, it was Joonho and he excused himself outside to take the call. Sujin was dragging Minsu up to the counter to order more drinks and Hyunjun disappeared somewhere, the bathroom, leaving Sungmin and Myungsu alone at the table. 

"I'm sorry." Sungmin said, the first words he'd spoken the whole time they'd been at the table. 

"For?" 

"Minsu." 

Myungsu flashed him a wry smile. "It's fine." He was about to say more when Minsu shouted across the cafe. 

"Sungmin hyung, you want anything?" Sungmin glanced over at him and shook his head, then turned back to Myungsu.   
"He's always been like that." Myungsu said. And then he turned back to Sungmin. "Hyung? You're older?" 

Sungmin nodded. "They picked me up when they were looking for a singer. My old band broke up. Internal drama." Sungmin said with a slight laugh. "Lead singers shouldn't date drummers. Especially when said drummer can't decide what he wants." 

Myungsu's eyebrows arched and he felt Sungmin gauging his reactions, so he didn't react. There was something about Sungmin that kept drawing Myungsu's gaze toward him and he suddenly realized how much he'd missed people. He felt it like a stab in the chest, he gripped the edge of the table. 

"Myungsu?" Sungmin's voice cut through the vacuum that was threatening to swallow him up. 

"Sorry, I just …" He trailed off, pulling himself back together. 

At that moment, Joonho returned from the phone. Sungmin looked up and then at Myungsu. "We're going out for a smoke, be right back." He grabbed Myungsu's wrist and gently tugged him up from the table and outside. 

"I don't smoke." Myungsu said, leaning against the side of the building. 

Sungmin was already lighting a cigarette. Myungsu tried not to stare at his mouth. "I just thought you needed an escape." 

Myungsu lift his gaze to Sungmin's eyes. "I … Thanks." 

Sungmin leaned against the building, facing Myungsu. 

"Did Minsu really talk about me?" 

Sungmin nodded. 

"I hadn't meant to … to just leave him." Myungsu stared at his feet, the ground, Sungmin's feet. 

"Life happens." Sungmin said, quietly. Myungsu looked up, but said nothing, and Sungmin continued. "My … the drummer I was telling you about. He didn't know what he wanted, but in the end he killed himself. I quit music for a long time, that's why I'm so much older than the rest of The Failing Sensation. I wanted to started over and they were willing to give me a chance." 

"Do you miss him?" Myungsu asked before he could think better of it. 

Sungmin didn't seem to mind the question. "Do you miss your mum?" 

"Every day." 

Sungmin nodded. "I miss him every day, too. I've moved on, but …"

Myungsu nodded. He watched to reach out and pull Sungmin into a hug, maybe kiss him. Make him forget all about the loneliness, either his or Sungmin's, he wasn't sure. But he was younger, too young and he didn't know Sungmin. 

"You're coming to our gig, yeah?" Sungmin asked, interrupting Myungsu's thoughts. 

Myungsu nodded. 

"Good, I'll see you there, then. I have to get back." Sungmin disappeared, back into the cafe and a few minutes later, Myungsu met the group as they were leaving he was going back in. 

He ordered another coffee and when he picked up a napkin, he noticed that there was writing on it. His name, a phone number. Sungmin's name and the words call me. He took out his phone and programmed it in. Then he texted Sungmin. 

_Good luck tonight._

He sent before he could think better of himself. A few minutes later, as he was approaching the club, he received a reply. 

_Thanks. See you after?_

Myungsu stared at it and thought about Sungmin. His face, the lines of pain etched into his skin. How beautiful his mouth was. He texted a reply. 

_Yes._

And then he went into the club. It was dark, the music was loud and if he hadn't already fallen in love with Sungmin, as soon as he started singing, Myungsu would've fallen in love all over again. He didn't know if it would work, but a part of him felt that maybe, just this once, he'd been luckily enough to find someone with enough baggage of his own to understand how it felt. How everything felt.


End file.
